Mapping Food Deserts in New Orleans

Ramirez, a student journalist at the New York Times Student Journalism Institute, got much of her information from a study by a group called SocialCompact. The study looked at examined 73 New Orleans neighborhoods, and "nearly 40 of those neighborhoods didn't have a supermarket," reports Ramirez:

"Researchers have said the lack of vegetables, dairy and other fresh foods in neighborhood stores contributes to a poor diet, obesity and diet-related diseases. Louisiana ranks fifth in the nation for the percentage of obese residents and has the highest rate in the country of deaths from diabetes."

A supermarket analyst interviewed by Ramirez said that New Orleans is "a very understored market."